The NHL's 5 Best Passers

Quite often in sports does the world overlook the playmaker. People would rather talk about the man who puts the puck in the back of the net or slams home the monster dunk instead of the player that made the fantastic pass to leave him wide open.

The players on this list are well-known around the league as being guys that can always find the open man and can make outstanding tape-to-tape passes that make the crowd go wild.

4. Joe Thornton

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Another oft-overlooked player is San Jose captain "Jumbo" Joe Thornton. Thornton is lethal in his office behind the net, and he is a big reason why the Sharks are poised for another Pacific Division championship.

3. Nicklas Backstrom

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Granted, he does have Alex Ovechkin to pass to, but one doesn't put up 100 points in a season simply relying on another player. Backstrom has the ability to dangle around defensemen and leave the perfect pass for a teammate to slam home a perfect feed.

1. Pavel Datsyuk

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Would there be any doubt that Datsyuk would top this list?

Anytime a player can get a phrase coined after him, you know that they're a gifted player.

Datsyuk almost never loses the puck and can dish the perfect pass to his teammate regardless if it is backdoor or end-to-end. His supreme passing ability is a huge reason why he was selected first overall in the NHL All-Star draft and why the Red Wings just set the home games wining streak record.

Pavel is a once-in-a-generaton talent who is making every GM regret letting him slide so many rounds in the draft.